


How Are You Hinata

by SpellCasterLight



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:33:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29330886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpellCasterLight/pseuds/SpellCasterLight
Summary: She was so confused; she knew this dance. Someone asked her how she was, she gave a basic reply and then the other person said what they wanted; why was he messing with the steps? [Shikamaru x Hinata]
Relationships: Hyuuga Hinata/Nara Shikamaru
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. This story is purely for entertainment not profit.
> 
> Author's Notes: Allow me to get all deep for a second guys; "how are you?" is a sentence used by everyone and, I'm guilty of this too, abused by everyone. I believe, this small used everyday sentence, has real power and we should all take it's ability to effect someone's mood a bit more seriously.
> 
> Now with that out of the way! Happy times ahead!
> 
> This fic is dedicated to Casey525 (on ff.net) who gave me my first ever fic request! I hope it brings you some good feels at the end ^_^
> 
> Pairing Warning: It also goes without saying but if [Shikamaru x Hinata] isn't your thing turn back now.
> 
> Warnings: Light swearing.

"Hinata; how are you?"

The heiress hadn't even opened her mouth before her father spoke again.

"You will be training with your sister this afternoon," Hiashi scoffed openly. "Goodness knows you need it."

And with that he stormed off; Hinata didn't feel the need to say anything.

* * *

"O-Oh!" Hinata took a few steps back from the slightly older boy who had just turned around the corner. "He-hello Neji."

"Lady Hinata," Neji replied stiffly. "How are you this evening?"

"Oh we-well I-"

She didn't even finish her sentence before he walked by her; her head fell, feeling even gloomier than before, as she started walking again.

* * *

"Hi Hinata," the older woman approached her as if she might scamper of into the woods like a frightened deer. "How are you?"

"O-Oh, I'm o-okay," the Hyuga heiress muttered before lifting her head to look at the female Jounin.

Kurenai nodded slowly fake smile still in place. "We didn't really get to talk yesterday before I had to leave but your father has asked me to train you. Can you meet me at training field six tomorrow at noon and we'll come up with a training schedule?"

Hinata nodded shyly, poking her fingers together. "Ye-yes alright."

Kurenai smiled a bigger, but no less fake, smile than before. "Thank you Hinata."

With her business concluded the elder woman left the Hyuga compound and Hinata, after sighing lightly, went back to her mortar and pestle; crushing the medical herbs she would need for the salve she was making.

* * *

"Hey Hinata! How's it going?!" Naruto beamed.

"Na-Naruto!" Hinata exclaimed nearly falling off the bench she was sitting on eating lunch. "I-I-!"

"Hey, can I have a cookie?" The blonde boy peered into the lunchbox she had prepared for herself.

"O-oh," she smiled before taking out a cookie and offering it to the boy. "He-here you g-go."

"Wow thanks Hinata!" Naruto yelled; before taking the offered goods, turning around and running off.

She couldn't help but feel a little sad that he didn't stick around.

* * *

Hinata sat quietly at her desk at the academy reading a manual on the latest uses of Turmeric in medical healing creams when Ino and Sakura appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey Hinata how are you?"

Hinata looked up at being addressed. "Umm fi-fine."

"That's good," Sakura cut the purple haired girl off barely letting her finish. "I was just wondering, do you fancy Sasuke?"

"Sakura don't be ridiculous! Hinata doesn't fancy Sasuke!" Ino turned to the purple haired girl. "You don't do you?"

Hinata only blinked at the strange question. "Umm n-no."

"See!" Ino clapped her hands. "Everything's fine!"

The two girls, having got the answer they were looking for, simply ran off and Hinata went back to her reading.

* * *

She was always first to arrive at her teams' training grounds; anything to avoid being at home.

"Hey Hinata!" Kiba yelled as he dropped down from a nearby tree. He grinned before turning and throwing his arm in the air in a wave to their other teammate. "Shino hey!"

"Good morning you two," Shino spoke quietly as he made his way to stand beside them.

With the three of them together, Kiba beamed. "How are you guys today?!"

"I am well Kiba," Shino replied simply.

"I-I'm-"

"Cause I gotta tell you guys!" Kiba yelled; cutting off Hinata, as Akamaru yipped excitedly at his heels. "I am so pumped to start missions! And I just-"

Hinata shut her mind off for a second to scrunch up her eyes and take a deep breath cleansing breath through her nose.


	2. Chapter 2

Baby Mirai was asleep in her crib and so her two Godparents were in the living room on standby in case she woke up and required anything. Kurenai was at a hospital check-up and so Hinata and Shikamaru had both offered to watch over the baby for the few hours while she was away. Hinata wished she could concentrate, not that there was anything really to deal with at the moment, but she just couldn't focus on anything that day; for good reason; a good reason to her anyway.

Shikamaru suddenly looked up at her from the book he was reading.

"How are you Hinata?"

Her head spun around, and she blinked at the sudden noise.

"Huh-what?"

He raised an eyebrow at her response. "I asked how you were."

"O-oh! I'm fi-fine."

She became nervous when he didn't reply and just continued to stare at her from the other side of the sofa. He finally sighed openly.

"What a drag; is that it?"

Her finger came up to her lip in a nervous gesture. "Wha-what do yo-you mean?"

Shikamaru actually closed the book he was reading, set it aside and turned to be fully facing the girl. "You've been completely zoning out all day. I asked you how you are and all you say is 'I'm fine'; is that all I get?"

"I-I-" she was so confused; she knew this dance. Someone asked her how she was, she gave a basic reply and then the other person said what they wanted; why was he messing with the steps? "–I do-don't want to b-be a bo-bother."

"You're not," he replied firmly; before seeming to force himself to relax his facial expression to express this. "It would be such a drag if I asked but didn't want to know wouldn't it?"

Would it? No one else ever seemed to think that way.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, his lips twitching upwards slightly. "I promise I'll listen."

Her forefingers came up to tap against each other as she thought it over.

"It wo-would have been my mo-mothers' bir-birthday today," she looked up at his face, expecting that to be enough of an answer and for him to have simply gotten bored or half expecting him to start talking about something else but no; he was still listening, giving her his undivided attention; so she carried on. "I se-seem to be the o-only one who re-remembers. My fa-father and si-sister do not se-seem to ca-care," she shook her head trying to dab at her eyes with her sleeve subtly. "It's sel-selfish I know."

"That's not selfish Hinata," the Nara spoke up in a tone she couldn't quite place and so she turned back to him. "I grew up around Ino; I know a selfish request when I hear one."

His lips twitched again at his small joke before turning serious again.

"Are you going to go visit her?"

"I wa-want to," she confessed tapping her fingers together again. "I do-do not like go-going alone."

He lifted his head towards the ceiling, and she assumed that was the end of it; until he spoke again. "I'll go with you."

Her head snapped up. "Wh-What? No-no I don't; I don't wa-want to bu-burden you-"

"It means a lot to you," he said simply. "When Kurenai comes back we'll head over. That okay?"

She couldn't believe it; someone actually listened to her; offered her help even; without her having to cry or bleed on the floor to _make_ them listen.

"Than-Thank you," she replied in a watery tone failing to contain a hiccup or two.

He couldn't have done more for her that day. He held her trembling hand on the way to the graveyard, ignoring the stares that came with it. He bought a bouquet of pink Carnations from the Yamanaka flower shop, after asking Inos' father what flower meant that a person is missed, and he let her cry on his shoulder when they sat at her grave and she told him stories about her; and it all meant so much more because he actually went out of his way to help her, something he, as she understood it, very rarely did.

From that day on Shikamaru held a place in her heart that couldn't be shifted.


	3. Chapter 3

She was finally living her dream of dating Naruto Uzumaki; it was everything she ever wanted; she wished, from the bottom of her heart, she could say that with honesty.

Dating Naruto could be...frustrating and repetitive it seemed. She had never eaten so much ramen in her life.

She had never been one to want to talk a lot, she had never been someone who needed to hear herself talk so to speak, but when she was with Naruto, like she was now walking down Main Street, it seemed like Naruto did everything in his power to fill every second with his voice. His day, his teammates, his missions, his Hokage lessons. This, beyond her control made her; annoyed.

It was beyond strange; she didn't get annoyed easily, but it seemed Naruto made her more annoyed these days than any other emotion. It felt strange; she had never been upset with him before.

They were nearly at Ichiraku, the only place they ever seemed to go, when they ran into Ino and Shikamaru; and from the look Shikamaru pulled he didn't want to be seen by them; it made Hinatas' heart hurt, was he avoiding her? Had she somehow upset him? She hoped not.

"Hey you two!" Naruto greeted enthusiastically running over to the two Team Ten members; when he was in front of them the blonde boy grinned. "What's up? Are you two on a _date_?"

The idea that the Nara and the Yamanaka were on a date made a cold seep into her bones that made her shiver lightly.

"Pish! As if!" Ino laughed. "As if I'd date this lazy bum!"

Shikamaru only muttered that Ino was a drag.

Their confirmation that they weren't on a date made Hinata happier than she cared to admit; which in turn made her confused; why _was_ she so happy they weren't dating?

"No, our mums' are hanging out, gossiping, so we thought we'd run away and get something to eat," Ino explained smiling in greeting to Hinata.

"You two should come with us!" Naruto then turned Ino around and started pushing on her back, forcing her back the way her and Shikamaru had just come.

While the two blondes started arguing Hinata took a few small steps to be beside Shikamaru and smiled at him. He gave his own smaller version in return before placing his hand on her lower back to gently encourage her to start walking the direction Naruto and Ino had gone. She felt his thumb move a single long stroke over her spine before he removed his hand and it made her cheeks feel warm. It was the most physical affection she'd had all night, and she'd been with Naruto for the last fifteen minutes.

When they got to Ichiraku Hinata found herself sitting between the two boys; when everyone started tucking into their meal the shadow wielder addressed to her.

"So Hinata how was your exam yesterday?"

Naruto gulped down his ramen loudly before looking at the Hyuga, confused. "You had an exam?"

"To be allowed to make salves for the hospital you need to take several written and practical exams," Shikamaru replied looking like he was gritting his teeth lightly. "She just completed her sixth out of eight."

"Hey! You didn't tell me that!" Naruto yelled rather loudly making her flinch at the volume.

Hinata bit her lip, tapping her chopsticks against the side of the bowl. "We-Well; I just-"

It's not like she hadn't _tried_ to tell him; he just never seemed to give her the chance.

Shikamaru actually _glared_ at the blonde boy. "Well maybe if you weren't such a drag and shut up for two seconds and let her talk, she would have."

"Shi-Shika; be-be nice."

Straight after Ichiraku Naruto had walked her home before running off without giving her a hug or a kiss or even a confirmation he would see her soon. She stood there, staring at the sky, outside her Clan Compounds' gates like she was lost.

In honesty; she felt lost; she had wanted to date Naruto for so long, she had dreamed about it, dreamed about nothing else; but was this what dating your dream guy was supposed to feel like? She felt hollow and alone and even just outright fed up. She should be _feeling_ more shouldn't she? Was she doing something wrong? She took off running hoping her feet knew where to go.

"Shi-Shika!" She called out when she saw him.

Both Shikamaru and Ino turned around at her exclaim.

"Can I ta-talk to you? A-Alone?"

The Nara turned to Ino who looked like she wanted to stick around to find out the gossip. "Why are still here Ino?"

Ino scoffed. "You're so _rude_."

"P-Please Ino?" Hinata smiled awkwardly. "I would re-really appre-appreciate it."

"Fine I'm leaving," Ino announced looking like she'd rather not. "But only because _you_ asked me to Hinata," the blonde turned to glare at her teammate. "Not you."

Shikamaru merely rolled his eyes, being used to Inos' outbursts.

"What a drag," the brown-haired boy waited until Ino was halfway down the road, and then he gave the Hyuga his undivided attention. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Can we go some-somewhere more pri-private?"

He shrugged, not taking his hands out of his pockets. "Sure, let's go."

She led him to her training grounds that were, as expected, abandoned at the late hour, gripping her hands in front of her to stop them shaking. When she met Shikamarus' gaze he was obviously concerned.

"Can this st-stay between us?"

He frowned, looking even more troubled at that. "Yes of course."

Hinata didn't even really know where to start with the jumbled ball of mess that were her thoughts.

"Have you ev-ever wanted some-something for so long and then you get it and it-it's just-" she gripped her shaking fingers tighter "–no-nothing like what you wan-wanted?"

Shikamaru looked like he was turning possible replies over in his head. "In my opinion fantasy-" he finally breathed looking away from her now. "- _rarely_ matches up to real life."

He didn't raise his head when he asked his next question. "In what way does it not live up to want you want?"

She forced herself to loosen her grip on her hands when they were staring to go numb. "I fe-feel; lost; an-and _alone_."

His head rose at that looking, almost angry. "Alone?"

Hinata nodded, confirming her words.

He lifted his head to look over her shoulder and he took a few steps past her so his back was too her, her first finger came to rest against her bottom lip at that.

"Do you know why fantasy never lives up to reality?"

Feeling slightly silly; she replied timidly. "N-No."

She saw his shoulders rise in a deep inhale.

"When you live in fantasy you get to chose how people act and react, they say and do what you would want them to do not what they would _actually_ do; the longer you live in that world the harder reality bites you if you ever do get what you want."

Was that it? She had fantasised how Naruto would act in a relationship for so long fantasy Naruto was so far from what real Naruto would actually do?

"What-what do I d-do?" She hadn't meant to speak; but something in her wanted that particular question answered.

"You need to be honest with yourself; what do you want? Remove the other person entirely-" so he did know she was talking about her relationship with Naruto. "-think of the qualities you want in a partner; honest, caring..." he let the sentence die off so she could fill in the qualities herself.

Naruto was honest and caring; but not in the way she needed. Giving rallying speeches on the battlefield and in the classroom didn't transfer to a relationship it seemed.

She wanted, and maybe it was selfish to want it, but she wanted to be surrounded in affection and love; one where she didn't have to beg and hint at it. She wanted hand holds and long hugs and dreams of a future where she and her lover were equals in every way. Where all the work she put in to better herself meant something.

Naruto, at least with her, didn't seem to want these things.

"And if fa-fantasy is be-better than reality?"

He finally turned back to look at her.

"Reality will crumble; and quickly," he gave her such an intense look she felt a jolt in her nerves. "You need to go after what _you_ want; what _you_ need. Not what you want someone to change into."

Could she really do that? Drop every fantasy she had ever had for as long as she could remember and almost start over? Make her love life into something more? Something better? Something actually _real_?

"But wh-what if I have to-"

"You don't _have_ to do anything Hinata," Shikamaru cut her off for the first time ever with a determined look as he firmly placed his hands on her shoulders. "The only things you _have_ to do are whatever keeps you happy and healthy and alive; that keeps you with us," his grip on her shoulders tightened. " _Please_ understand that."

She felt herself smile even if her lungs felt a little restricted at the overwhelming emotion she felt.

"I-I will; I will tr-try."

She placed her hands on his forearms as she gazed at him and tried to give him a look to express her gratitude; at both listening to her and his advice. She felt his thumbs make sweeping motions on her shoulders, like what he had done earlier on her back, it felt nice, like little semi circles of heat on the cold night it had become. When she started making small circles with her own thumbs into his forearms his motions stopped and he stepped away and she couldn't help but feel sad at that, even if her smile never shifted.

"Okay," he took a deep inhale through his nose and rolled out his neck before giving her a small, barely there, smile. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

She nodded; her smile increasing. "Yes; I wo-would like that."

Everyone was surprised when, a few days later, she broke up with Naruto; Shikamaru however was the only one who wasn't.


	4. Chapter 4

She was thinking about what happened at Ichiraku a few months prior, about Shikamaru yelling at Naruto for not listening to her; which was silly really because she had _far_ more pressing things to think about, things that were about to greatly affect her life, when she and Shikamaru were once again in Kurenai's house babysitting while Kurenai was at a friend's house for the evening.

Shikamaru wanted to hear about her life; he wanted to hear her talk about her day, her worries, her fears, her loves.

But did she know that for sure? There was realistically only one way to find out.

"I-" it was almost like he wanted to prove her right because he looked up from the scroll he was reading when he heard her say that single syllable. "-I was tra-training with Kiba yesterday."

"Oh yea?" Shikamaru asked setting the scroll down and adding his free hand to the one already holding his large cup of tea. "How did that go?"

"H-he is umm-" Hinata gulped lightly. "– _a-angry_ at the moment," she picked at her nails as she laid her forearms on the table between them.

The Nara set his cup down on the table, but still held the grey porcelain in his hands. "What happened?"

"With his si-sister married, and because sh-she renounced her ability to be-become the Inuzuka Clan H-Head, he has be-become the Clan Heir."

Hinata looked up to find Shikamaru listening intently and it made a small blush form on her cheeks.

"I'm listening don't worry," he joked with a small smirk.

She knew that and it made her heart swell.

"His mo-mother, before he be-becomes Clan Head th-that is;" Hinata let out a long breath. "wa-wants him to ge-get ma-married and well," she grimaced. "apparently they ha-had a big ar-argument a-about it."

Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag; I cannot imagine Kiba taking being forced to marry someone he doesn't want quietly."

Hinata took a few deep breaths and pivoted her right hand by holding the baby finger in her left hand. "I-I asked hi-him to ma-marry me."

She looked up to find Shikamaru's eyes had gone wide and his shoulders stiff. " _You did what_?" He almost hissed his question.

"I a-asked him to ma-marry me," she repeated placing her hands on her folded legs to hide the fact her hands were now shaking. "The El-Elders have ma-made it very clear I wi-will not be the Head of my-my Clan while they have a sa-say and well; Kiba is my fr-friend, I imagine Kiba to be a lovely hus-husband."

"Can;" Shikamaru broke off and it almost looked like he was trying to calm himself down, rubbing the bridge of his nose and screwing up his eyes. "Can I ask why?" He met her eyes again and, she could have imagined it, but he looked slightly panicky. "Why would you just ask Kiba to marry you? Without a single thought to yourself?"

"I; well; yo-you see," she blinked staring at the wooden tabletop. "It was-wasn't _entirely_ selfless."

Shikamaru's other hand came off his cup and he placed both palms down on the table. "Go on."

"The Clan El-Elders want me as far a-away as po-possible from the Hyuga Clan, so they don't ha-have to de-deal with me," a hollow chuckle escaped her. "They have sta-started sending out scrolls without my fa-fathers' consent."

"Scrolls?" Shikamaru enquired before a look of horrid dawning appeared on his face. "They are trying to find you a _husband_? They're sending out _marriage proposals_?"

"Ye-Yes," Hinata confirmed feeling a prickle of potential tears. Talking about this for the first time was more difficult than she thought it would be. "I as-asked Kiba to ma-marry me because at le-least if he said ye-yes-" she forced herself to lay her own hands on the table, mimicking Shikamaru's. "–at le-least I know I wou-would be stay-staying in Konohagakure."

"Have they got replies?"

"Only o-one that I kn-know of," she tapped her fingers on the table. "I was a-able to intercept the me-messenger and steal the scr-scroll before he delivered it."

Despite the situation Shikamaru smirked." Smart move," he frowned. "Who was it from?"

"The He-Head of the Karatachi Cl-Clan."

"The Karatachi Clan," Shikamaru repeated, closing his eyes in thought. "They're in Kirigakure aren't they? I wasn't aware that Fagura Karatachi had been replaced."

"He-he hasn't."

The shadow user's eyes snapped open. "Hinata; he must be fifty something."

"Fi-Fifty-t-two," Hinata confirmed, gulping back the bile in her throat. Her voice was starting to tremble now. "It's o-only a ma-matter of ti-time before he sends another scr-scroll, or someone el-else, and I ca-can't intercept them a-all, if they ge-get no replies, they will kn-know something is wr-wrong," she bit her lip and shook her head. "Shi-Shika I don't wa-want to ma-marry someone I don't ca-care about."

In a move that made her gasp Shikamaru's hands reached across the table and grabbed hers.

"But if they are sending them out without your father's permission, he'll say no to the match, won't he?"

"He do-doesn't have a re-reason to re-refuse," she felt the first tears begin to fall down her cheeks. "He'll ha-have to agree."

"I; what-what a drag; I don't; oh fuck." She had never heard Shikamaru swear before; it wasn't awful sounding like when other people swore. "Am I to assume Kiba said no?" Even though he knew the answer there was a small glimmer of hope in his voice.

"He sa-said it would be we-weird to ma-marry his adopted si-sister," she laughed lightly; it was a sad sound.

"We-" Shikamaru hissed through his teeth and closed his eyes again. "–Hinata; we'll figure something out."

"There's no-nothing to figure o-out," Hinata bit her lip to stop the sob escaping. "It's o-only a ma-matter of ti-time until I'm shipped off to wh-who knows wh-where," the sob did escape her now. "I'm go-going to mi-miss you Shi-Shika."

"Don't talk like that," he was around to her side of the table in a second; the hug he pulled her into was so tight it would have hurt if she wasn't so emotionally numb at the moment. "Don't you dare talk like that."

"I'll mi-miss you Shi-Shika," she sobbed again before breaking down completely in the Nara's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Hinata saw Kakashi sigh, with Shizune looking upset by his side. The Hyuga tried to blink back tears, she knew nothing could be done, she knew her father knew that too; she didn't know why they bothered coming here just to pull her along by false hope.

"Hiashi," Kakashi started sounding distraught. "I can't get involved with Clan issues you know that."

"But these scrolls-" her father gestured to the enormous pile of sealed scrolls on the table; scrolls coming from all corners of the globe, small and large clans, some symbols she recognised, most she didn't; all wanting to gain a Hyuga, to be able to have that bragging point when they conversed with other clans, to work their way up the social ladder. "Were sent out without my permission!"

"But I can't _do_ anything about it," Kakashi stressed again, sincerely looking like he wished he could.

At that moment the door to Kakashi's office swung open and Ino and Sakura came stomping in, looking like they were mid argument.

"Shizune! Can you settle some-" Sakura cut herself off at the sombre mood in the room and Hinata heard Kakashi sigh.

"Don't you two knock?" The former sharingan user replied sarcastically.

"What's going on?" Ino asked making her way over to her. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and looked troubled when she saw the Hyuga girl's face. "Hinata what's wrong?"

"Yea why are you upset?" Sakura asked as well coming to stand in front of her. "Alright!" The pink haired girl stood up tall and glared at both Hiashi and Kakashi. "Which one of you upset Hinata?!"

" _We_ didn't do anything Sakura," Kakashi replied but his lips did twitch under his mask slightly at her protectiveness.

"It is Clan business; you have no ri-"

"Fa-Father," Hinata spoke up before sighing; she felt Ino rub her hand up and down her arm comfortingly. "They are my-my fr-friends and they will le-learn soon en-enough."

Her father went silent before turning away and nodding once.

Hinata then told the two new girls the story about her Clan's Elders sending out marriage scrolls and there being no way out of it; she had to pick a husband from the pile on the table; and soon.

Sakura and Ino shared a grim, disbelieving look before turning back to her.

"And there's no way out of it?" Sakura's shoulders actually dropped. "No way at all?"

Hinata shook her head blinking rapidly again as she felt more tears sting her eyes.

Ino, after a moment, seemed to take a clearing breath before sticking her chin out, decidedly.

"Alright then! Ladies! We have work to do if we're going to find an eligible bachelor for our princess in this pile!" Ino grinned. "This calls for a girl's night! Sakura go find Tenten and bring her to my place."

"Rodger!" Sakura replied, grinning, as she gave a salute before running out of the Hokage's office.

"And me and you, Hinata," Ino walked past Hinata to collect the scrolls on the Hokage's desk. "Need to get to the supermarket and get a whole bunch of snacks because it's gonna take us a while to go through all these."

The blonde grinned at Kakashi. "We can take it from here! Come along Hinata!"

"Wait; wha-what? I-Ino!"

"Uh Ino?"

The blonde turned back to grin. "Like I said Hokage! We've got-"

"That's only a few of them…" Kakashi then pointed to the other tables overflowing with official scrolls and that's when Ino's jaw dropped.


	6. Chapter 6

"This guy doesn't even have all his teeth!"

"Eww!" Sakura yelled back as Tenten stuck her tongue out in disgust.

Ino immediately put the high lord's application in the 'no way in hell' pile.

They had been at it for the better part of an hour and hadn't even made a dent in the large number of scrolls asking for her hand. She took a second to thank whatever gods out there that she had such friends as the girls with her now that loudly and openly cared about her; that only wanted the best for her.

"Oh, he's cute," Sakura said suddenly as Ino unrolled the next scroll.

"Nope can't do," Tenten said pointing to a particular line of text on his application with her pinkie finger. "He's from the Sky Country Capital; too far away," the weapons mistress took a large bite of her sugar donut.

"Yea you're right," Sakura placed that scroll in the 'as if Hinata's moving that far' pile.

"Dammit all these people suck!" Ino suddenly exclaimed. She took a large gulp of juice before looking at the purple haired girl. "I'm the Head of my Clan, can't you just marry me?"

The other three girls laughed at the Yamanaka's joke.

"W-We would have beau-beautiful chil-children Ino," Hinata replied hiding her smile behind her hand.

"You know we totally would!"

"Oh! Here's one about Shino!" Sakura exclaimed setting the scroll down flat on the table.

"Oh thank _goodness_ ; someone who doesn't live on the moon and isn't old enough to remember the first shinobi war," Ino replied, her shoulders dropping in open relief. "I think we all agree Shino is a decent guy," Sakura and Tenten murmured agreements. "So, make that the first in the 'to actually think about' pile."

The pink haired girl rolled up the scroll and set it off on its own.

"But Shi-Shino is like my br-brother," Hinata said rolling her glass between her hands.

"If it were me," Tenten started gaining the Hyuga's attention. "I would want to marry someone I know is going to treat me at least as a friend and sister then as a complete stranger; or maybe even worse," the brown-haired girl smiled at Hinata. "Don't you agree?"

"Ye-yes," Hinata gave a small nod. "You're ri-right."

"And besides," Ino grinned. "You might get to see what his face looks like when the honeymoon comes around!"

Sakura and Tenten laughed but Hinata's face exploded with a bright red colour.

The four kunoichi stayed up until the small hours of the morning going through the enormous pile of scrolls and there were only a handful that made their way into the 'to actually think about' group.

Shino's application was the first in the pile, followed by one for Choji; despite the dog owner declining her offer a few weeks prior, one from Kiba turned up in the pile, the application from Genma had taken them by surprise, seeing as he had no clan to speak off, but Hinata had met him several times since the first Chunnin exams and he had been nice to her so he had made the cut and finally an application, strangely enough, from Gaara; the fact that he was a friend, and the Kazekage, narrowly outweighed the distance to Suna to make his way into the pile.

As Hinata lay on the floor staring at the ceiling listening to Ino and Sakura's snores she couldn't help but feel upset and let down that there was no application from Shikamaru. If there was, she would have had to make a new pile just for him; the 'try not to smudge the ink from how fast she signed the dotted line' pile.

She smiled lightly at her own joke.

Hinata felt a bug bite her arm and she swiped at her arm to get rid of it, but the bug persisted. She looked down to swat at it again but, her breath caught in her throat when she saw a long thin shadow poking her arm instead of an insect. It backed off and she sat up and turned her head to follow it.

The Hyuga frowned lightly but looked to see the man she was just thinking about kneeling on the windowsill.

"Shi-Shikamaru?" She whispered silently unwrapping herself from her blankets and tiptoeing over the window. "W-What are yo-you doing he-here?"

"I thought you guys would never go to sleep; do you know how long I've been waiting around to talk to you?"

"We we-were going through my ma-marriage proposals," she pointed behind her into the living room before blinking. "You wanted to t-talk to me-me?"

"Want to sit on the roof with me?"

She smiled. "O-Okay."

He held her hand as she climbed out the window and they both climbed onto the roof; when they were both sitting securely Shikamaru turned to Hinata.

"So-" Shikamaru stretched his neck "-did Ino make the whole experience worse than it had to be?"

"All th-three of them we-were lovely," Hinata smiled before giggling lightly. "Ino even pr-proposed to me-me herself."

Shikamaru raised a disbelieving eyebrow, looking like he was holding back laughter. "What a drag; really?"

"Ye-yes," Hinata gave a firm nod still smiling. "We de-decided our chil-children would be beau-beautiful."

Shikamaru did chuckle at that. "I wouldn't dare argue with that."

Hinata stared at the moon; it was a clear sky and a rather beautiful night for the time of year.

"What did yo-you want to ta-talk to me-me about?" She asked still staring the night sky.

"This."

"This wha-" she stopped to stare disbelievingly when she looked back at the Nara.

Shikamaru was holding a small black velvet box; the silver ring it held was decorated with what looked like etched in vines leading to a single sparkling emerald.

Her brain seemed to have stopped completely. "Oh my go-goodness!"

"I'm not asking you to marry me because you need to marry someone," he used his free hand to lift her chin slightly so she met his eyes. "I'm asking because I care for you and I want you to be happy; with me preferably."

It wasn't an 'I love you' but it was an 'I think I could love you if you give me a chance' and it was more than she thought she deserved. She thought her heart was going to explode from the swirling emotions inside her at that moment.

"And I care about you too much to ask you over a piece of paper," he pulled a face to suggest the thought was ridiculous. "I usually think romance is a drag you probably know that," he confessed with a small embarrassed grin as he met her eyes again. "But I wanted to at least _try_."

Her hands lifted to her mouth before her fingers laced in front of her chest and she couldn't have stopped the happy smile and tears even if she wanted too.

"Ye-Yes."

The tension left Shikamaru's shoulders and a relieved smile spread across his face.

"Ye-Yes yes yes," she found herself repeating as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Yes yes Shika ye-yes!"

"Well that's a relief!" She heard him laugh lightly as he squeezed her into him in the hug. "You have no idea how nervous I was."

He pulled back and took her left hand and, taking the ring out of the box, slid the ring on her ring finger. It fit perfectly.

"You kn-knew my ri-ring si-size?"

"I-" he looked slightly bashful. "– _may_ have taken an educated guess," he caressed the ring and her ring finger with his thumbs. "I'm glad it fits."

"I'm glad i-it's from yo-you," she replied honestly.

They seemed to stare at each other for the longest moment.

"Shika?"

"Yea Hinata?"

"Are yo-you sure about th-this?" She frowned. "I ca-care about yo-you so much; I do-don't want you to-to do something yo-you'll regret; you've got your wh-whole life to find some-someone you want to ma-marry."

He didn't get flustered or immediately argue back; he looked her dead in the eye, took one of her cheeks in each hand and simply stated. "I have never been surer of anything in my life Hinata."

He pulled her forehead to lean against his. "The thought of watching you marry someone else destroys me; _I_ want to marry you, _I_ want to be the one you spend the rest of your life with. I want to spend the rest of _my_ life with _you_."

"Oh _Shika_ ," she sighed feeling completely enraptured. That was the single most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her.

"Shi-Shika?"

He smiled. "Yes Hinata?"

"Can I-can I ki-kiss you?" Her head tilted up slightly and her eyelids slide half closed; a warm heat appearing on her cheeks. "I want to ki-kiss yo-you."

He leaned back to meet her gaze, his own eyes so filled with emotion it made her heart skip a beat.

"I've wanted to kiss you for so long Hinata."

And with that he kissed her.

When their lips met her heart seemed to constrict to try to stem the flow of raging euphoric emotions coming to the surface.

She couldn't stop the light gasp when his tongue started to massage hers. It felt like someone had set off fireworks in her nerve endings and poured lava into her veins.

And that's how she spent the rest of the evening; kissing her fiance under the full moon; her new engagement ring a wanted weight on her finger.


	7. Chapter 7

She only climbed back in the window when she was practically falling asleep on his shoulder, and again only when he promised he would pick her up from Ino's early the next day.

She was startled awake by a loud excited scream.

Hinata sat upright quickly and turned to see Ino, gaping at her. She heard Sakura gasp and saw her point at her hand.

"Hinata!" Ino gasped. The purple haired girl also saw Tenten behind the blonde, her jaw on the floor. "Why are wearing an engagement ring?!"

Hinata couldn't contain her smile. "I ha-have something to te-tell you gu-guys!"

Shikamaru, when he appeared only an hour later, was practically man handled into the house by the other three girls excitedly demanding answers; when Hinata met his gaze she smiled brightly when she saw he was grinning.

Ino demanded they all go out for lunch to celebrate and Hinata couldn't keep the smile from her face when Shikamaru took her hand shyly in his to walk down the street.

They had made it to the busy restaurant district, cafe chosen, when Lee dropped down to be beside the group.

"Friend Shikamaru! I am glad I found you!" Lee turned to grin at the rest of the group. "Oh hello ladies!"

"Hi Lee," Sakura greeted with a wave.

Lee turned back to the Nara, looking determined. "The Hokage has requested our presence!"

"Right now?" Lee nodded quickly and Shikamaru sighed. "What a drag; go on I'll be right there."

Hinata grabbed his sleeve making him turn to her. "Be ca-careful Shika."

"Don't worry about me okay?" He placed a kiss to her temple making her both smile brightly and blush pink. "I'll come find you when I get back."

"I swear you two are too cute!" Ino gushed happily turning on the spot and continuing on to the cafe.

Hinata's stare to her fiance's back was interrupted by Sakura addressing her.

"Hinata; I gotta ask-" the purple haired girl turned to look at the pink haired medical ninja. "–why Shikamaru? Out of everyone in that pile of marriage proposals you picked Shikamaru; how come?"

Hinata smiled easily, her fingers coming to play with the engagement ring that sparkled in the light from the high noon sun. "Wh-Why? That's the ea-easy part. He was the fi-first person to ask me ho-how I wa-was and actually ca-care about the an-answer."


End file.
